no pics and yes its for sale, the ankle is getting better. can you ride yet?

RE: can I ride ? better judgement says no, only couple weeks since surgery, BUT [and it's a Big one] I'm back in the saddle ! Definitely a good thing. September is on back on track. Hallelujah!

RE: Marshall's another cultural ICON has faded into the obscurity of Coney's history! "RIFF'S PLACE" wha da ya think? Would love to buy and reopen it, but remembering the building it would probably take more than the building is worth to renovate, and reopen it! Make it an old 50's style theme restaurant again. Complete with an old "Triumph" sitting out front.

RE: 911 ride came through town this morning. Got a couple of pics and a short video, just got to get them from the camera to computer, and then up on the post.

call or im and we'll try to set something up.

__________________

Ride Faster to See More Quicker!

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak, that is why I TRY to be quiet!

The Tenth Anniversary of September 11th has come and gone, but I have these for the offering! It was an incredible sight visually, audibly, and physiologically to watch the 9/11 ride come through Cumberland! From what I understand there where 2500 riders broken up into groups to better handle the logistics. They came from "Shanksville, PA" headded to the Pentagon, and then on to NY and The WTC Ground Zero sites! "We Will Never Forget" was the thought to be expressed. I had arrived to the cross town bridge at mid morning thinking I probably missed the event, when I saw people lined up along the road. I went up and climbed up on the bridge just in time to hear the sirens from the lead pace Police cars coming down Mechanic street from the Narrows. Here are some of the rides and riders.

And then they came and just kept coming for over forty five minutes! Bikes of all sizes shapes [riders to] !

The first bikes that came through where Police bikes from all over the country

Then the Common American Patriots, but then there is nothing common about an American Patriot!

Even folks on Beemers! Go Figure!

I saw extreme end of the spectrum from this full dresses Gold Wings to Scooters fully loaded!

Ok so here is my conundrum! In creating this post I may stretch the limits a little here! First of all If the mountains of the east are at sea level then .... ! No rocket science needed here, and secondly It has to be about and include bikes! Now I have rationalized in my mind and heart how much I wanted, and needed Kira to be here with me, but I could not think of anyway I could have gotten her here without riding her [Duh Right?]. You see there is no way I would insult her by loading her into the back of any vehicle to transport her here, and so because of pride I bit my nose to spite my face! So here is how I can solve the bike issue here! Nags Head NC used car lot just as you cross the bridge onto the northern side of the island is a Car Lot, and if you look closely on the lower right hand corner of the picture... ! Well let's just Look!

This is my only motorcycle shot in the hundreds of pictures I took and there where so many bikes all over the island you couldn't shake a stick at them if you had one, or wanted to, or ,,,... ! Any way here is all this went down. This was mine and the wife's vacation paid for by a friend and his wife. And although she was open to the idea we just could not make it happen. Even though for a week I was in paradise there was just something missing for me! Like I said there were bikes everywhere and rightfully so since this is one of the most phenomenal places to ride anywhere. And here I am cruising around in the SUV! This is just NOT RIGHT! So I'm not posting a flood of pictures on this one, just a few of the good ones!

Crossing over on the north entry way! The Wright Memorial Bridge into Kitty Hawk!

It's just a hop skip and a jump across the inlet!

2:00 am at the moment ... and I'm fading ... more tomorrow!

So here is where we stayed, with this very nice back yard!
No mowing the grass required!

Looking North

Looking South

Yeah I know a lot of folk prefer Southern Exposure!

The Locals were really wonderful ... people! ?

Not too animated!

Obviously a Biker type! [One Knife Short of a Mountain Biker!]

and like anyone else they had their favorite hangouts!

Like I said earlier the Outer Banks here in NC are a bike riders paradise! We know we can experience so much more on the back of our machines than in anything else! [can't be understood by those who don't ride]. But it is incredible. I won't even begin to scratch the surface of the potential of a ride down the beach can offer. But here are a few of the scenes possible for your enjoyment.

just a few of the over 450 pics! I love the twisties, but I would be limiting myself if I ignored all the possibilities the ride provides. [ close in a few moments ]

Finally Back and time to close this one out! Thanks Gadget and Johnny D for allowing me a little leeway here! [Pun Intended]

Seriously the Outer Banks would be a more than memorable run for any one!

Well it was a great week! Too Short! [thinking about moving] and the sun was setting ...

Night Is Coming On and the Week is coming to an end!

And it became necessary to get back up in them thar mountains to Cumberland!

__________________

Ride Faster to See More Quicker!

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak, that is why I TRY to be quiet!

Riff screwed with this post 09-16-2011 at 10:20 AM
Reason: adding more

explain that one! someone searching high and low for the best v-strom and buys a goldwing

Yeah I got a kick out of that one too! Men our age have attained the privilege of changing our minds at will, when we deem it expedient, and necessary! In other words we just felt like it! Congrats on the new ride! Got a bigger picture of her?

__________________

Ride Faster to See More Quicker!

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak, that is why I TRY to be quiet!

Yeah I got a kick out of that one too! Men our age have attained the privilege of changing our minds at will, when we deem it expedient, and necessary! In other words we just felt like it! Congrats on the new ride! Got a bigger picture of her?

In the opinion of thee, he has no age to determine appropriate level of decision.
Men in general will understand the level of consequence and just except the outcome. If your younger, the pecker control most of this rationale. As a middle age man the risk is greater
(wife, family, estate). And for you two : Get it when I can or not tonight I got a headache.

In the opinion of thee, he has no age to determine appropriate level of decision.
Men in general will understand the level of consequence and just except the outcome. If your younger, the pecker control most of this rationale. As a middle age man the risk is greater
(wife, family, estate). And for you two : Get it when I can or not tonight I got a headache.

For someone with too much book lurnin you gettin a handle on it allrighty. Oh Yeah I just remembered a Rhodes Scholar in most other parts of the world means you can grow up to be President! In Appalachia you're unqualified with out the OJT degree, and three years of watchn "Red Green" for your AA, four Years for a BA [or BS depending how you look at it], and been watchin since u's a youngn for Ur PHD in HillBillyology! U gotter happin on both fronts my friend. We jess might wind up and vote you in as Mountain Mayor, the Highest Office in the Land [litterally] ! When the power grid fails you'll find me up in the "Mountains of the East"
How did things go up in PA?

__________________

Ride Faster to See More Quicker!

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak, that is why I TRY to be quiet!

The long dark night of winter ..... Winter? We had a Winter? This has been a very mild winter here around Cumberland, but still cool enough, and wet enough that there where not too many days that where optimal for a big sport touring machine [and an ol fart]. Instead of CC Rider, it was more like Sissy Rider! . I had Kira out on numerous occasions but nothing note worthy of a post!

That all changed Monday. A friend had called me a week before and said the forecast for Monday was supposed to be decent. And so we made plans. the week passed and Monday morning came. The forecast high was going to be into the mid to upper 60's. At 9:00 am it was 48 degrees, and the new forecast was downgraded into the mid to upper 50's. Common sense was seen leaving the building and machismo was sneaking in the back door. We pulled out heading for Covington VA 165 miles down route 220. 220 runs all the way to Covington. I have the Beemer, and my friend Fred Wolfe had this most excellent 2010 Triumph T100 Bonneville. Did I say any thing about the weather report being down graded? It was a sunny day, but the winds where gusting from 15 to 30 mph ... all day, and they did all day, all the way to and from. The air was so dry you could have created a new cooling process of dehydrating beef for jerky. It was like zero percent humidity [exaggerating of course, but you get the picture]. As you will see in the pictures I had what I thought would be sufficient gear, and NO back up. I have some "Bon Body Armor". and my heavier coat, and my leather gauntlets [ I didn't think I would need]. yada, yada, yada! I think some of the wind gusts where more than 30mph. I could be riding along and either change lanes or be leaning [literally] into the wind like I was taking a big sweeper. This was Crazy! The roads couldn't have been better well paved [sorry dirt guys]. They where a great combination of straights and twisties up and down "The Mountains of the Appalachia's" all the way down to Covington. Did I say it was windy and chilly? We take our time and several stops along the way we pull into the "Hardees" in Covington I think it was around 3:00pm by now. We did not take long, because we needed to start heading back soon and Fred had picked a different route back. Our plan was to take interstate 64 west about 18 miles and get off at Lewisburg pick 219 north which would take us all the way back up to Western MD. As we pulled into the first gas station up on 219 a BP to gas up Fred noticed what my instrument panel had told me half way down 64. The dreaded "LampF" warning light was on!? Who in the world talks like that? That was the indicator for my low beam running light head light was burnt out! CRAP! Can this day get any better? It is now around 6:00pm and in this part of the world the lights are turned off and the side walks are rolled up till 5:00am the next day! Don't even think about finding a Auto Parts store to get a bulb. Thank God I still have the high beam. Funny thing about this time of day too, the temperature is starting to drop and the last time I checked the weather service before we pulled out it was a calling for a freeze warning for ... late Monday night early Tuesday morning with the temperatures to dip into the upper 20's. Not Good! We are still about 2 and a half hours out! That's right we will be riding into the dark of right around dusk in some of the best "Whitetail Deer" country on the east coast, and the deer will be up and moving about! Gonna try to shorten this up here. We pull into "Parson WV" around 7:30, and the sky is still a little light, but the sun has has definitely set. We pull into to get some more gas, and the temperature has now dropped down to 48, and I'm shaking so much from being cold that I literally can not stop and Fred is laughing. He is cold too! He's got an extra sweat shirt packed away and I remembered I have a balaclava and my "Frog Togs". I don't care at this point if they will ad another layer of warmth I'll wear them. Gassed up through down a steaming hot cup of coffee, and dawned the "Frog Togs" [which where working by the way]. We started to travel every goat path we could find that was taking us on the right direction on the compass that we thought would get us down off these mountains and into the flat lands slicker than fish grease. My big a... butt monster caught every groove, and danced me all over the road like a dirt bike. The only problem was dancing with an almost 600 lb touring bike is no waltz. Around 8:30 we found a real road, with real tarmac and it was familiar to me! Civilization and the warmth of home was not .... a far off. We where on route 50 east just outside of Mount Storm [they named it that for a reason]. a nine mile decent at a posted 8 degree steep grade with some of the biggest twisties and switch backs in our area, and we where down in the low country again and it was warmer down there around 47 degrees now. HOOo Yaaahhhhaaa! I was only twenty six miles from home! Finally at 9:30, 12 1/2 hours and 407.8 miles later I had returned home! It took me close to twenty minutes to peel out of my clothes.
Like I said the day had enough issues, that though I had two cameras and three lens with me I only have a few pictures and this story, and Fred as my witness to verify this tale, to show for my efforts!
But the truth be known I wouldn't trade this ride for almost anything [that's ALMOST anything]. This is probably one of the best of the top five rides I have ever taken! I would probably not want to intentionally repeat it, yet I had one of the best times of my life!
Ok now if you are like me you would probably jump past all this blah, blah, blah by now and go straight to the pictures and that is ok. I feel better for sharing it. and for those incredibly hardy souls who can stand extended drivel, one who would have taken the time to read it and hopefully laugh your ...... self silly! I hope your enjoyed my story, and here are the only pics I have from this trip.

__________________

Ride Faster to See More Quicker!

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak, that is why I TRY to be quiet!